Vehicle door with spare tire compartment



S p 1952 K. T. KELLER 2,610,083

VEHICLE DOOR WITH SPARE TIRE COMFARTMENT Filed April 9, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v INVEN TOR.

E; E. z(7 771d7r 74 6/2271 BY I h mw J/A Sept. 9, 1952 KELLER 2,610,083

VEHICLE DOOR WITH SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT Filed April 9. 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. Aazzf'mdv T/feZZIer. 1 Q BYf/ I 19W Patented Sept. 9, 1952 VEHICLE DOOR WITH SPARE TIRE COIVIPARTMENT Kaufman T. Keller, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,567

1 Claim.

My invention relates to motor vehicles.

More particularly my invention relates to improved and novel structurefor carrying and storing the spare tire with which a motor vehicle is customarily provided.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a spare tire storage compartment and mounting structure between the inner and outer walls of a door structure of a motor vehicle.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a motor vehicle an improved spare tire storage compartment which is accessible from the exterior of the vehicle and which does not occupy any of the otherwise available occupant or luggage accommodating space.

A further object of my invention is to provide a motor vehicle with improved tire storing structure which completely concealsthe tire from view.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a spare tire storage compartment in the space between the inner and outer walls of a tail gate type door structure of the kind with which so-called panel body delivery trucks and station wagons are provided.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hinged door for a spare tire storage compartment of this character.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from the following description of one embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the rear end of a motor vehicle embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the structure within the circle 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the structure within the circle 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a motorvehicle generally designated by the numeral H) which includes a body ll mounted on a conventional vehicle chassis including wheels 12. The body H has a rear door structure which includes a tail gate assembly, generally designated by the numeral I3, and an upper section 6 which is pivotally attached at its upper edge to the roof portion of the vehiclebody i l by hinges 1. The tail gate assembly 13 is hollow and comprises an inner panel or wall M of rectangular configuration having the lower lateral edge thereof bent outwardly to form a flange l5 which provides the bottom wall of the hollow tail gate structure. The upper lateral edge of the panel I4 is bent outwardly to form a narrow flange IS. The flange I5 is disposed above and. preferably spot welded to an inwardly extending flange 16' formed on the upper edge portion of an outer panel I6. The flange I6 provides the upper wall of the hollow tail gate structure. The flange I6 at the upper edge portion of the panel i6 is directly connected to the inner panel M as heretofore set forth, while the side lateral edges of the outer panel I 6 are spaced relative to the lateral side edges of inner panel I 4 and connected together by sidepanels ll-and H as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The lower lateral edge of the outer panel I6 is secured to the outer edge of' the flange I5 of the inner panel [4. l

The gate assembly I3 is pivotally mounted at its lower end portion on the body I l at the lower end of the body, namely, the side rails l8 and IS. The side rails l8 and [9 are provided with bearings 20 and 2| which are secured thereto and which receive one end of pivot bolts 22 and 23, respectively. The other ends of the bolts 22 and 23 are received within bearings 24 and 25 which are secured to the side panels I1 and I'l respectively. The bearings 24 and 25 are secured to the panels I! and I1, respectively, by bolts 26 as more clearly seen in Fig. 2. The tail gate assembly 13 is releasably retained in its vertical position by the engagement of a shoulder 21 formed in the flange 16' of the outer panel l6, against a seal 28 which is disposed between the shoulder 21 and a lip 29 formed on the lower edge of the upper swingable section B'which has a glass window 31 disposed therein. Further leftward movement of the assembly [3 about the pivot bolts 22 and 23, as shown in the drawings. is restricted by lips 32 and 33 which areintegral with the lateral side portions of the outer panel l6 and which envelop the edges of the side panels I! and I1. Seals 34- and 35, respectively, comprising resiliently yieldable material, such as rubber, are disposed between the lips 32 and 33 and the adjacent vehicle body structure.

The inner panel I4 is substantially disposed within a single plane and the central portion of the outer panel [6 is flared outwardly to form a relatively deep central annular chamber which is provided. with a circular opening 38 located in the outer panel l6. Disposed in the central annular chamber of the hollow tail gate structure is a cup-like member 36 of cylindrical configuration which has a closed end 31 secured, in a conventional manner such as by welding, to the inner Surface of the inner panel I l. The cup-like member 36 has an open end similarly secured to the outer panel [6 in registration with the circular opening 38 therein. The edge portions of the outer panel I6 which surround the opening 38 are bent outwardly to provide a rearwardly extending circular flange 31' in which the outer edge portions of the cup-shaped member are received. The cup-shaped member 35 and flange 3'! are preferably welded together to form a rearwardly protruding lip. The lowermost surface of the cylindrical side of the member 56 is secured to the flange [5. A U-shaped bracket 39 has its leg portions 40 and ii secured to the inner panel 14 by bolt and nut assemblies 52 and 43, these leg portions extending through an opening 44 in the closed end 31 of the cup-like member 35. The bracket 39 has a bight portion which is provided with fixed nuts 46 and d? which receive standard automobile tire bolts 5% and 49, respectively. The bolts 48 and 49 are adapted to extend through the standard openings at the centerportion of a vehicle wheel such as that indicated by the dotted lines at 55. The vehicle wheel 59 with a spare tire mounted on it is adapted to be positioned within the cup-like member 36 and to be secured therein by merely placing the standard bolts such as at and 19 through the holes, as heretofore mentioned, and threading them into the nuts 43 and ii, respectively. With the foregoing structure, standard types of wheel mounting bolts, such as as and as, may be employed for securing the spare tire and wheel assembly in place. 7

The tail gate assembly I3. is provided with a dished-shaped cover 5| which is pivotally mounted on the outer panel 16 by a hinge comprising hinge members 52 and 53 secured to the cover 55 and outer panel l6, respectively, and which is employed to cover the opening 38 in the outer panel 16. The lip formed by the flange 31' and adjacent edge portions of the cup-shaped member 36 is provided with a seal 5 which engages the edge portion'o-r the cover 5| and thus prevents the entrance of any foreign matter Within the cup-like member 36 which is adapted to house the vehicle tire and wheel assembly 55.

The hinge members 52 and 53 are located at one a a side of the cover 5| while a projection 55 is se- The cured to the oppositeside of the cover 5!. projection 55 engages one end of an arm 55, the other end of which is connected to a lock mechanism 51 which is adapted to be secured in a locked position to prevent unintended access to the wheel and tire assembly.

The cover 5| is provided with a centrally located rectangular recess 58 in which is disposed a bracket 59 and a light 60. The bracket 59 is adapted to support a vehicle license plate 5!, the configuration of the recess 58 being such as'to accommodate a symmetrical arrangement of the license plate El and the light 60. The wiring for the light 60 which extends around the hinge members 52 and 53 as well as around one of the pivot bolts 22 and 23 has not been shown'in the drawings for the purpose of clarity of the other structure involved. 7

' The vehicle chassis is provided at its rear end with bumperbrackets 62 and 53 which are secured to the side rails l8 and I9 and which carry bumpers 64 and 65, respectively. The bumpers 4 t l and 65 are provided with bumper guards and 57, respectively, which are pivotally secured thereto by pins, one of which is shown at 68. The bumper guards 66 and 61 are connected together by a bar 69 which spans the space between the bumpers 64 and 55 at the rear of the vehicle. ihe bumper guards 66 and 61 and connecting bar 69 are adapted to pivot about the axes of the pins E8 to a substantially horizontal position, as shown by the doted lines in Fig. 2, so that the tail gate assembly l3 may be lowered to its open position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig.

2 without interference from the bumper guards. When the bumper guards 66 and 61 and the connecting bar- 69 are rotated to their lower dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2, the cover 5! may be pivoted to its open position without encountering obstruction by the connecting bar 69.

By providing the structure as heretofore set forth, the spare tire of the vehicle is not only accessible from the exterior .oflthe vehicle but completely concealed fromsight'. As a result, the. tire and wheel assembly is conveniently stored in a vehicle without consuming any of'the passenger or luggage space thereof. a

While I have illustrated and described but.

one embodiment of my invention, it is-to be understood that such is for the purpose of illustration only, and it is contemplated thatthose skilled in theart may modify certain details without departing from the spirit orscope of the I claim: V

A tail gate assembly adapted for pivotal attachment to a vehicl body comprisingv a substantially planar inner panel, an outer panel spaced from said inner panel and having an outwardly flared portion, said portion having a cir cular opening therein, a cup-like member of cylindrical configuration secured between said inner and outer panels anddefining a chamber for a vehicle spare tire, the open circular end of said cup-like member being secured to said outer panel in registration with said circularopening and thereby rigidifying said outer panel, 5

a bracket secured to said inner panel and extending toward said opening for receiving and positioning the spare tire within said cup-like member, and a cover disposed over said opening and cup-like member and swingably supported on said outer panel.

KAUFMAN 'r. KELLER.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references ofirecord in the file of this patent: UNITED sTATEs im V 1 'Date invention as defined inthe claim appended heree. 

